


Christmastime with the Maxsons

by EndlessExplorer



Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 4
Genre: Best Friends, Christian Holidays, Christmas, Christmas Dinner, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Morning, F/M, Family Bonding, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Father-Son Relationship, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Holidays, Married Characters, Married Couple, Married Life, New Year's Eve, New Year's Kiss, New Years, Romantic Friendship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-30
Updated: 2019-01-11
Packaged: 2019-09-30 05:08:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17217596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EndlessExplorer/pseuds/EndlessExplorer
Summary: Arthur and Gwen spend Christmas with friends, family, and each other.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Feeling tempted by the season and everything else, I decided to write a three chapter project of Arthur, Gwen (My FemSole) and Shaun spending Christmas and ushering in the new year together. I understand that people may feel that Arthur is quite OOC in this story but that's only because I want to show a side of him that isn't brought to light much.  
> Feel free to leave any comment, or criticism that you feel appropriate. All of it helps.  
> Thank you to everyone who has stuck with me during 2018 and I hope everyone a healthy New Year.  
> EndlessExplorer.

Winter had come to the Commonwealth. Snow blanketed the irradiated earth and for once, everything seemed to quieten down. After their campaign against the Institute, and the hard task of bringing order to the Commonwealth, Arthur had allowed the Brotherhood some well deserved down time. Everyone was delighted with the three weeks of leave and most of the crewmen decided to use their time to either travel to Diamond City and relax or use the terminals to contact their families back home. Arthur on the other hand had other reasons for issuing the extended leave. It allowed both himself and Gwen some time together. True they were together a lot on the Prydwen between war meetings and briefings, but they were both itching for some time together as husband and wife. Winter was also Gwen’s favourite time of the year, so having the time off and seeing Gwen so happy was an underestimated bonus…

The day that Arthur issued the leave, he and Gwen had left the Airport for Sanctuary. Gwen had helped Arthur out of his shell over the course of their relationship and as they left the border fence of the Airport, Gwen could tell that Arthur was standing up taller. There was a smile on his face, and he even seemed excited about the next three weeks together. Both of them had left their rank behind at the gate; now they were Arthur and Guinevere Maxson, husband and wife, partners-in-crime…

It surprised Arthur just how well known Gwen was throughout the Commonwealth. Arthur knew that during her time as General, Gwen set up outposts and trading routes all over the Commonwealth and the reports surrounding them had been so impressive that Arthur had Gwen run logistics for a short time while she was a knight. Efficiency had increased almost overnight. But actually, seeing her in action; smiling and chatting with traders and settlers was something else. People offered Gwen food and shelter; shared stories; but every time she turned them down, countering that she had plenty. Back in the Capital Wasteland, everyone knew who Arthur was. People almost feared him hiding it behind ‘respect’. But here; he was just Arthur. The former General’s husband. People tried chatting with Arthur and it was strange to him, almost foreign.

At one point, they had stopped at the Starlight Drive-In. Gwen had wanted to stop off and get a cold drink before they continued on to Sanctuary but after getting word of a malfunctioning generator, Gwen wouldn’t take no for an answer and headed off to try and repair it. Arthur took a seat at the bar that had recently opened up and started getting lost in the music flowing from the jukebox. Arthur came out of his reverie when a cold Gwinnet Stout was placed in front of him. Arthur threw a handful of caps on the counter, but the barman stopped him. The barman was a rather strange man, almost someone you’d expect out of a book. Rather well trimmed grey hair, and a smile on his face gave him an aura just like Gwen. A light in the darkness. Some optimism to clear away the pessimism.

   “Any friend of the General is a friend of mine… and considerin’ that you’re her husband, ye must be good friends.”

The barman’s deep laugh was strangely uplifting, and Arthur couldn’t stop a smile breaking across his face. Arthur extended his hand across the countertop.

   “The name’s Arthur.”

The barman shook Arthur’s hand eagerly.

   “Simon.”

  “Well Simon, I was taught from a young age that nothing in this world is free. If I can’t pay for this with money, than I’ll pay for it with work. Who knows how long I’ll be here anyway… as much as I love Gwen and her kind spirit, she can be a bit too kind.”

   “Thank you but I know what you mean. I was one of the first settlers here when Gwen set things up. Running around like a mad Radstag. It wasn’t until she passed out while fixing a set of lights that people were able to drive the point home that she was working herself to an early grave.”

The story didn’t surprise Arthur. Gwen had broken records as a Knight. Patrols taken, Reports written, tech recovered… it almost beggared belief. Danse had shown great pride in his protégé and it was a suggestion on his part that had gotten them both together. Danse had been worried that Gwen believed that she almost had to prove herself as an asset to the Brotherhood and that’s why she was working so hard. Danse had asked Arthur to talk to Gwen, tell her to slow down and take a break every now and then, to show her that she had proven herself. Arthur did, and their relationship bloomed from there. Gwen’s sheer knowledge and witty humour had captivated the young Elder and Arthur found himself asking for more one on one time with Gwen.

Arthur’s smile thinned out at the thought of Danse. Without him, Arthur and Gwen would never have met. Arthur and Gwen loved each other, and Arthur knew that if anything happened to her, that it would kill him but Danse still proved to be a rather sore conversation for them both. Gwen had convinced Arthur to leave Danse alive and had even gotten Danse into the Minutemen. Gwen had taken care of her former mentor while Arthur had thrown his dear friend to the wolves. It was a decision that Arthur still regretted.

Arthur stood up from the stool he was sitting on and walked around the counter. Picking up a plastic crate of beer, Arthur turned to Simon. Simon smiled and pointed over his shoulder to a small storage room beside him…

A few hours passed and as the lamps turned on to break the darkness, Arthur looked every part the barman. A cloth hung from the waist of his pants and he was cleaning a glass when the door swung open. Arthur looked up to meet the eyes of an oil-covered Gwen. She was smiling sweetly while still having an embarrassed look on her face. Her usually long hair was tied back in a messy bun and she had a wrench in her hand.

   “Sorry about that Arthur… After the generator, the water pump broke. Then the defence turrets packed up…”

Gwen scratched the back of her neck awkwardly. Taking a seat at the counter, Gwen puffed out her cheeks and laid her head down on the hardwood counter. Arthur laughed before he popped the cap off a bottle of beer and stood it beside Gwen. Pressing a kiss to Gwen’s temple, Arthur saw the appreciative smile on Gwen’s face before he grabbed a stool and sat in front of Gwen. Gwen took a deep drink from the cold bottle and sighed with relief.

   “It’s alright Gwen. I kept busy here.”

   “I noticed that. It’s nice to see you without the coat every now and then. If only the rank and file could see you like this more often… but then I can be a little selfish at times. The Brotherhood can have Elder Maxson, but Arthur Maxson is all mine…”

Gwen stretched over the counter to press a kiss to Arthur’s lips. Suddenly, the bar door swung open and Gwen turned around to face them only to get the stock of a rifle to the nose, knocking her off her stool. As Arthur went to help Gwen, who wasn’t moving, he felt the barrel of a snub-nosed 44. press against his temple.

   “Think very carefully about your next move… all the caps stashed here? Grab’em and the hooch too. Otherwise I’ll paint this place a festive red with the contents of your head.”

Looking at Gwen, Arthur felt furious. Pulling a knife out that he had stashed in his boot, Arthur quickly grabbed the Raider’s hand and twisting hard, he disarmed him. Driving his knife through the Raider’s hand, Arthur quickly counted the two others before they started shooting. Arthur ducked, and the wall of liquor practically exploded. The Brotherhood could reimburse Simon for the loss of alcohol, but Arthur had to get rid of the other Raiders before they hurt Gwen even more.

   “Come out you bastard and we’ll only cut out your tongue before we gut you!”

The pinned raider stopped screaming as he issued an order to the others.

   “Can someone come and pull this fucking knife out of my hand! The fucker busted my wrist!”

When the Raider came close, Arthur quickly stood up and wrapped his towel around the Raider’s neck and proceeded to smash the Raider’s face into the countertop. The Raider hit the floor in a graceless pile.

   “Fuck sake!”

Grabbing a piece of glass, Arthur stood up hoping to throw it at the Raider, only to find him holding Gwen up by her hair with a pistol pressed against her skull. Arthur bared his teeth and dropped the glass shard. The Raider aimed his pistol at Arthur’s head slowly but never got to pull the trigger before he suddenly ended at the shoulders. Arthur looked to his left and saw Simon walk out, holding a shotgun. As Simon walked up to the counter to face the only Raider left, Arthur ran out and picked up Gwen, quickly leaving the bar in order to find the settlement doctor.

That night, Arthur sat beside Gwen’s bed, rubbing her hand with his thumb. There was no one else in, the doctor had gone home, and people were lucky that Gwen was the only one who needed the doctor’s attention.

   “We both know she’s going to be fine. People who jump off the Prydwen with broken shocks and be fine are like that…”

Arthur’s head shot up to see a familiar face. A longer beard paired with a heavy woollen coat could have fooled him, but Arthur knew that voice anywhere.

   “How are you Danse? I know that she’s going to be alright but I’m bloody furious… People like Gwen… like you are rare in this world. Unfortunately, Raiders breed like fucking rabbits!”

   “I’m good. Great actually. The Minutemen are like a proper militia now. No more ‘angry farmers with pitchforks and pipe guns’… And another thing, don’t keep putting yourself down. If I told Arthur Maxson a year ago that he’d be working in a bar or be giving his troops three weeks to sit on their asses, he’d have me brought to Cade for a psychological test.”

   “That’s all Gwen. The rank and file love her. They fear me. It was her decision to give them the time off. Said that the minutemen could take up the slack… that’s another thing, shouldn’t I be addressing you properly, General?”

Danse put his hand up and laughed.

   “Please don’t. I’ve heard that damn title so much over the last few days I almost signed my name on a few forms as just ‘the General’. How Gwen managed to keep her sanity, I don’t know.”

Arthur laughed before his expression turned serious again.

   “What about that bastard that hit Gwen?”

   “We questioned him. Said nothing except for what he’d supposedly do to our families when he’d get free. We’re sending him to the Castle. I’ve been meaning to ask what are you two actually doing in Starlight?”

   “Headed for Sanctuary. Gwen still has her house there. I sent Shaun ahead of us in a Vertibird, I’d say he’s worried sick about his mother. As soon as we get the all clear, I hope to head to Sanctuary.”

   “I could send word onto him if you want?”

   “Could you?”

   “No problem…”

Arthur stood up and embraced Danse.

   “I’m really sorry about all that trouble before and for kicking you out.”

   “How many times are you going to apologize for that? I told you before Arthur, I forgive you.”

    “Thank you… really.”

Danse turned to leave.

   “Actually Danse, if you’re ever in Sanctuary, call in, would you? I know Gwen would love to see you. I’d like to catch up too.”

   “I’d like that Arthur, thanks. One other thing;”

   “Yeah?”

    “Merry Christmas!”


	2. Christmas!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Maxson's celebrate Christmas

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone!
> 
> Here is the next chapter for CWTM. If anyone here enjoys it, could you please leave a comment on what you guys liked the most?? Also a huge thank you to goldenslumber for being my beta! Please go and read her stuff!

Arthur opened his eyes, acutely aware of everything going on around him. Why Gwen had decided to install so many water purifiers near her house astounded him and Arthur found he couldn’t go back to sleep. Even listening to the generators popping outside felt like they were telling him to wake up and get up…

Arthur soon found that he’d rather listen to Power Armour marching through the Prydwen’s metallic corridors.

Turning over to one side, Arthur jumped when Dogmeat suddenly licked him on the face. Falling out of the bed, Arthur rubbed his sore hip as he glared at Dogmeat. It didn’t last long because like Gwen, Arthur loved Dogmeat. With the sleep now practically shaken from his eyes, Arthur noticed a small red hat planted on Dogmeats head. Dogmeat’s right ear was sticking out from underneath the ring of off-white cotton with a bob of the same colour hanging down against his muzzle. Arthur rubbed Dogmeat’s soft coat, but with the call of a whistle, Dogmeat abandoned Arthur for Gwen who was presumably in the kitchen.

Arthur noticed a folded bundle of clothes where Dogmeat had been laying, giving them a cursory glance. A note sat askew there, and Arthur quickly recognized Gwen’s beautiful cursive handwriting. _Found one of Nate’s old Christmas jumpers,_ it read. _Needed a quick mend and a clean, but it should fit. At least I hope so. Was never any good at sewing… - Gwen_

Arthur pulled on the brown twine holding the folded clothes together and inspected the jumper. It felt warm, cosy, and looked almost like new. Arthur had no idea why Gwen thought she was no good. There were scribes back in D.C who couldn’t sew this well and they had been doing it for years. Arthur pulled the jumper on over his t-shirt and it fit like a glove. Pulling the jumper towards his nose, Arthur inhaled deeply. A sweet aroma of Mutfruit, soap, and something else that was undeniably ‘Gwen’. A smell that made him feel loved and nurtured. Gwen really was someone special. Pulling open the shutter door, the smell of food caused Arthur to start drooling. It was rare for this to happen to Arthur, but as Arthur crept into the kitchen, he knew why the smell seemed so bewitching.

Gwen was standing by the stove, her back to Arthur. Like him, she was wearing a colorful Christmas jumper. She stood out against the drab surroundings. Her hair was held back by a headband and she was wearing an apron…

Everything seemed so strange. On the stove, oil snapped, popped, and crackled in the pan. The scents filled their tiny kitchen. Arthur had never thought of a domestic life for himself. He imagined battles after battles, maybe quick nights of relief in between but this… this had never crossed his mind. A family built on love, and trust, not bound by war and fighting…

Arthur smiled, the expression lazy, but then a thought occurred to him. The smile quickly became a smirk, as he creeped up behind her. His hands easily found her waist, pulling her close.

“Merry Christmas,” he murmured low in her ear.

“Merry Christmas to you, too. I was wondering when you were going to get up.”

“Well I was dreaming about you… I was enjoying it too much, but I have to admit that the genuine article is so much better.”

Gwen turned the heat off on the burner and spun to face Arthur. Her nose was still wrapped up since their last time at the Starlight, but Gwen chose to just ignore it. She crossed her arms and leaned against the stove, arching a brow at Arthur.

“Arthur Maxson, if you are dreaming of another woman, I’m afraid you can dream about her outside in Dogmeat’s doghouse…”

Arthur barely noticed the small crinkle in Gwen’s straight face. A sign that Arthur knew that she was joking. “But Mrs. Maxson, you are that other woman. You have me stuck. However, may I suggest something?”

“Depends…”

Arthur leaned in and kissed Gwen on the lips. Spotting what had been cooking on the pan, Arthur snuck his hand closer, before he felt something pressing against his stomach.

“If you so much as touch that… you’ll be spending Christmas with Cade sewing up a knife wound.”

Arthur backed away and sure enough, Gwen was holding a small folding blade. Arthur chuckled nervously before Gwen folded the knife with a quick flick of her wrist. Smiling brightly, Gwen planted a kiss on Arthur’s face.

“Now be patient, sit down, and relax.”

Arthur was never known for being the most patient person in the Brotherhood, so rather than sitting, he decided to try and help. “What can I do to help out?”

Gwen turned around and faced Arthur. “How many times have you been on mess duty?”

Arthur could remember when Gwen had been on mess back during her early days. The rank and file loved it. No one could understand how someone was able to make rations taste so good, but Gwen would always just blush and brush people off when they tried asking her about it.

“One time back in D.C, I almost blew up the kitchen. Being who I am, the paladins just blamed the mess sergeant. I tried to take the blame, but no one would listen to me. Since then I stuck to the much easier jobs whenever I was put on mess.”

“I was going to make hash. Can you peel potatoes?”

Arthur was smiling now. Gwen was pointing at him with a spatula, with her other hand sitting on her hip. While Gwen was usually quite well-mannered and warm, she could be as intimidating as a Deathclaw Matriarch when she wanted to be.

“Peel Tatos? That’s one thing I can definitely do.”

Grabbing a nearby stool, Arthur pulled out his pocket knife and started peeling. Gwen started humming a gentle tune after a few minutes and Arthur couldn’t help himself from humming along. The problem though was that Arthur was horribly off-key, which Gwen quickly let him know when she grasped his lips shut. Arthur wasn’t expecting it and just stared back, wide-eyed.

“Arthur, I love you so just know that I mean this in the nicest way possible. You aren’t Bing Crosby and I’m pretty sure that by continuing to hum like that is making the man turn in his grave. But I do have an alternative.”

Gwen started rummaging through a cardboard box that was sitting in the corner of the kitchen. It took Arthur a couple of seconds to realise that Gwen wasn’t holding his mouth shut anymore, but he still kept it closed. Gwen finally pulled herself out of the box holding a holotape. Grabbing her pip-boy, that she had laying on the kitchen counter, Gwen put the tape in and hit play.

Suddenly the kitchen was filled with the sounds of the Christmas crooners. Gwen’s shoulders relaxed as she let herself get caught up in the music, but Arthur seemed to be more interested in getting through the bag of Tatos. Gwen had the sickening feeling that she hurt his feelings, so Gwen slunk over and wrapped her arms around him, holding Arthur close.

“I’m sorry Arthur. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings if I did. Anything I can do to make you feel better?”

Suddenly, Arthur dropped his knife and the Tato he had been holding and wrapped his arms around Gwen’s waist, pulling her flush against him. He was quick to forgive. “I have a few ideas…”

Gwen lazily draped her arms over Arthur’s shoulders, and leaned in closer. “Such as?”

Without another word, Arthur slowly closed the distance between himself and Gwen. Gwen’s hands had come back up to frame Arthur’s face as she kissed him back. Hearing gawking noises, both of them broke apart to spot Shaun standing in the doorway with Dogmeat.

“If I knew ye were doing that… I’d have come back later.”

Gwen turned to Shaun, who was still pretending to be sick. Dogmeat walked over and sat beside Gwen and Arthur.

“And what took you so long? I only sent you to get some milk?! I started thinking you had gone to Diamond City for it…”

Shaun deposited the milk on the kitchen table before shrugging his shoulders and grabbing a piece of bacon off the stove. Gwen called out to him and tried to run after him, but she was still stuck in Arthur’s arms. Shaun’s laughter could be heard as he retreated back into his room. Slowly, Gwen turned back to Arthur, glaring daggers at him.

“Go and get our son Arthur… and if I see, or smell that ‘traitor’ bacon on your breath, I will NOT be happy.”

Arthur’s hand flew up to his temple in a mock salute.

“You ass…”

\---

After a decent breakfast Arthur, Gwen, and Shaun got wrapped up in thick winter clothing and headed out into the snow covered Commonwealth. Shaun was about to run off in some direction, but Gwen placed her hand on his shoulder.

“There’s something we have to do first. Then you can go off and play until dinner, alright?”

“Ok…”

Arthur had a feeling what Gwen was talking about and his suspicions were confirmed when Gwen aimed them up the hill towards Vault 111. When Sanctuary had become both big enough, and populated enough, the minutemen had started a cemetery up beside the vault. The people who died in the Vault were the first bodies buried there and Preston had contacted Gwen so that she could come back and bury Nate. At the time, Arthur and Gwen were in the budding stage of their relationship, so Arthur was unsure of whether or not he should be there. In the end, Arthur went, and Gwen had thanked him for being there. Gwen’s other friends had turned up also; including Nick, Piper, MacCready, and Cait. Out of courtesy for Gwen, neither Nick or Arthur started arguing throughout.

After the defeat of the Institute, the real Shaun had also been buried there, beside Nate. Gwen always refused to call Shaun ‘Father’. She said that wasn’t who he was. Arthur could still remember when Gwen had teleported to the top of the Mass Fusion Building. Holding her dead, adult son in her arms, Arthur wanted to give her the honour of condemning the place that had taken so much from her, and he could still remember the pain and anguish on her face as she screamed into the open air as she hit the button. Arthur had only seen that kind of pain once before; on the face of the Lone Wanderer when he had found out that Sarah Lyons had died in battle.

In her hands, Gwen was holding two wreaths that she had made herself. They weren’t made of holly but rather a myriad of things and pieces to make them look more real. Gwen paused in front of the vault entrance and Arthur could see her wince and shudder in disgust. Continuing on, Shaun pushed open the gate leading into the graveyard and they walked in. There were a lot more people here that Gwen knew than Arthur as she almost seemed to stop at every second grave. At one, Gwen handed the wreaths to Arthur while she went and tidied up a pot of carrot flowers. There was a stake in the ground at the head of the grave. Arthur could make out ‘Mama Murphy’.

“Stupid Sight…”

“Sorry, what?”

“Mama Murphy said she had the gift of the Sight… but would only work when she was high on chems. I tried to talk her out of them but… didn’t work. Preston sent word that she had passed due to an overdose shortly after the institute campaign.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. Did you know her well?”

“Not really. I can remember when I first met her in the museum of freedom over in Concord. I can remember being so angry… at everything. She tried to tell me that Shaun was still alive. I didn’t believe her, called her out for being a cheat and a junkie. Told her she was so full of bullshit… I made her a full blown armchair three days later as an apology…”

“That sounds like you… I remember in a report that Danse sent me a while back that you floored Rhys over something that he referred to as ‘trivial’. Also said that you gave him a bottle of bourbon and took over cleaning out Cambridge as an apology.”

“Now that I outrank him, I’m just gonna say that he is an absolute bastard. That guy had it coming, and I don’t know how Haylin can stick him. The bourbon was Danse’s idea and he also thought that by doing the clean-up, I might relieve some stress.”

Arthur laughed. Gwen took the wreaths off him and they continued on.

“As long as we’re off record, I will admit that the Rhys family have always been a pain. Too headstrong…”

Now it was Gwen’s turn to laugh.

“Never thought I’d hear you say that about someone in the Brotherhood…”

“Well last time I checked, a certain Sentinel can be quite stubborn as well.”

“Be careful there. That Sentinel can also poison your food.”

Finding Shaun standing in front of two graves, Arthur guessed that they were at their intended destination. Gwen’s previous smile had fallen from her face as she stood beside Shaun. Arthur stood back a bit and watched as Gwen handed Shaun a wreath and pointed towards Nate’s grave.

It wasn’t that Shaun was oblivious to the other graves existence, he knew he was a synth, but Arthur could understand that putting a wreath on a grave that you believe to be your own would be quite distressing. In complete silence, both wreaths were placed and noticing that Arthur was standing back, Gwen gestured for him to come closer. Standing between Gwen and Shaun, Arthur listened to Gwen whisper a prayer before she stood up straight again. Shaun looked up at his mother and Gwen flicked her head to the side to give him permission to run off. Shaun thanked his mother before walking down the hillside into the centre of Sanctuary.

Linking arms, Arthur and Gwen walked back down the path to the house. Gwen was resting her head on Arthur’s shoulder as they walked along the path. Other settlers walked past, seemingly having the same idea as Gwen. Once they got back, both were surprised to see Codsworth cooking Christmas dinner.

“Ah Merry Christmas mum… I took the liberty of getting dinner ready for you and the family. Feel free to leave it to the pride of General Atomics!”

“Alright then Codsworth. You can call us then when it’s ready.”

Opening the door, an instinct told Arthur to duck. Doing so, he avoided a snowball aimed at his head, but Gwen wasn’t as lucky. Shaun’s head poked up over a snowbank, but he blanched when he saw who his unlucky target had been. Seeing a mixture of both frustration and joy on Gwen’s face that just seemed to be a twitching smirk, Arthur backed out of her way. He knew many a tale of what happened to whoever was in Gwen’s way when she was on the warpath.

“You may want to run Shaun…”

Arthur laughed as he watched Gwen run after Shaun. After a couple of minutes, Gwen called Arthur over. When he got closer, Gwen wrapped her arms around Arthur’s neck and thinking that she was going to kiss him, Arthur leaned in. Gwen then dumped snow down the back of his jumper and Arthur jumped back. This time, Arthur was glaring while Gwen feigned innocence. It quickly turned into an all-out war.

\---

Arthur was sipping black coffee from a mug while looking out into Sanctuary. It was dark out and almost every house in the cul-de-sac was lit up. Minutemen on patrol shared cups of eggnog whilst out on patrol and everyone seemed to have retired home for the night. After the incident that morning, Shaun and Arthur had been forbidden from the kitchen so they both decided to retire to the living room so while they couldn’t look or touch the food, they could smell it.

While Arthur had warmed up to Shaun and Danse, the idea of Synths and synthetic humans still irked him, and Arthur found that without having Gwen as a ‘buffer’ of sorts between them, Arthur and Shaun could find themselves stuck in dull silence. Unfortunately, this was one of those times and Arthur was hoping that his long sips were enough to plug the silence while not oblivious enough not to make it seem like Arthur was ignoring Shaun.

Then Shaun asked a question that surprised Arthur.

“What’s the Brotherhood like?”

Arthur was caught a little off guard by the question despite the Brotherhood being the one topic of conversation that few others could top his knowledge on. An air bubble caused Arthur to cough, but in the end, he managed to give some type of reply.

“Why?” Arthur hoped that he didn’t come across as stern or anything, it’s just that the question had surprised him so much that he wasn’t sure how he was responding at all.

“Well it’s just that since it’s such a big part of my mom’s life and yours, I got curious. I started asking around and well… I heard a lot of different things. I’m sorry to say that some people don’t like you very much…”

Before Arthur had a chance to answer, Gwen appeared beside him, wielding another kitchen utensil.

“While I don’t like speaking poorly of others, I do admit that a lot of people just stick to what they hear from stories rather than finding out for real. I remember being in Diamond City and having to just listen to people condemn the Brotherhood, even though they were praising the fact that the old metro tunnels in Cambridge could be used again. I led a team of knights down there after some ghouls took it over again. Don’t hear anyone praising that…”

Gwen pressed a quick kiss to Arthur’s jaw before heading back into the kitchen. Hearing Gwen defend the Brotherhood and it’s members had Arthur smiling like an idiot, but she was the only one who had a free pass in his book to speak ill of any of it. Turning back to Shaun, Arthur noticed that he was staring up at him, like he was taking mental notes on everything. Arthur cleared his throat before continuing.

“The Brotherhood is… well, best way I can explain it is it’s like a family. Like you, your mom, and me, we look out for one another and are there when help is needed. They’re stalwart protectors against the Wastelands and the mutants nature spits out to make life difficult for settlers and farmers. While I’m aware that many people aren’t exactly fans of the Brotherhood and I know that some of them are your mom’s friends, I don’t believe that there is much wrong with the Brotherhood. It’d be like you listening to people talk badly about your mom. That’s what the Brotherhood is like… to me at least.”

Shaun looked like he seemed to be mulling over what Arthur had told him before he smiled satisfactorily at Arthur’s answer. Shaun wrapped his arms around Arthur before running off into his room with Dogmeat sticking close by. Peeking over her shoulder, Gwen noticed that Arthur seemed to be smiling after he got over the initial shock of the embrace. Gwen was delighted that they were both getting on so well.

Just as Arthur was about to sit down, a knock at the door interrupted him. Arthur looked at Gwen, who simply shrugged her shoulders. Arthur opened the door to find Danse. Gwen smiled when she saw Danse and quickly left the kitchen to say hello.

“Merry Christmas Arthur, Gwen…”

“Merry Christmas Danse. What brings you around here?”

“Well, a bit of good news, actually. A group of Raiders attacked Starlight again, but no one was injured. We captured who we could and luckily, they were a part of the same gang that broke your nose. We attacked their base about two hours ago.”

“And?”

“It was a chem den. Everyone was too inebriated to do anything. Easiest operation of my career.”

“Thanks, Danse.”

“No problem, Gwen. Anyway, I have to get going…”

Danse could smell the dinner before Codsworth had it pulled out of the stove. Danse had no idea how, but Gwen could even make Mirelurk taste good. The roast Brahmin sitting on the counter looked delicious.

“… and I hope you guys enjoy your meal.”

Danse was halfway out the door before Arthur called him back.

“I thought I asked you to call so we could catch up… would you like to stay for dinner?”

Danse looked between Gwen and Arthur.

“I don’t want to intrude.”

Arthur extended his hand out towards Danse. Danse gave a brief smile before taking Arthur’s hand. Danse took off his heavy winter clothing and draped them on a coat rack by the door. Danse and Arthur sat side-by-side on the couch and started regaling each other with various new stories. Codsworth had retreated back into the utility room to recharge, leaving the remainder of the meal to Gwen.

It was pretty much ready, so Gwen had been more than grateful to Codsworth for the help. The smell of the roasted food had drawn Shaun from his room and he crawled towards the kitchen island, hoping to grab some. Turning into the kitchen, Shaun noticed that his mother had her back towards him, his mission would be a success! Slowly, his hand snaked up the chipped wood before a loud thud caught his attention. Gwen had stabbed the knife she was using into the counter beside her. Shaun had been caught.

“After that little theft of yours this morning, if I see a fingerprint on that roast…”

Gwen started laughing. It wasn’t her usual joyful laugh but rather one laced with a warning. Shaun wasn’t stupid, he’d heard all sorts of stories about his mother’s combat prowess despite her never having a military background or training before the Great War. Shaun decided that the wait would be the safer choice and walked over, sitting beside Arthur and Danse. Danse immediately started into a story about Gwen and how she had taken out an entire building of Raiders without a single one knowing. A previous firefight had destroyed the servos in Danse’s armour and while he attempted to fix it, Gwen had scouted ahead. Shaun was captivated.

\---

Dinner came and went, with Danse leaving a short time after. Shaun had gone to bed, leaving just Arthur and Gwen alone together by the fire. Gentle melodies were dripping from the nearby radio and both Gwen and Arthur were perfectly comfortable.

“Today was perfect. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, but there’s one last thing.”

Gwen stood up and walked into their bedroom. Coming back, Arthur spotted a small box in her hand. Gwen handed it to him before taking her seat again beside him.

“I didn’t get you anything…”

“That’s no problem. Just open it…”

Arthur slowly pulled the blue ribbon and lifted off the top of the box. Inside was a picture. But not just any picture, a sonogram. Arthur couldn’t believe it…

“I had a small feeling, so I went to Cade. He confirmed it. I’m afraid you’ll have to wait a little while for your present…”

Arthur smiled from ear to ear before pouncing on Gwen. Gwen laughed as Arthur kissed along her collarbone and up her neck. Finally, they were a mere breath apart and were staring deeply into each other’s eyes.

“I love you Gwen… Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas, Arthur.”

 


End file.
